


Live in the sunshine

by jaxink



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, F/M, Fem!Makoto, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Genderbending, Growing Up, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 14:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaxink/pseuds/jaxink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They’ve been best friends for most of Haru's life. </p><p>Actually, Haru’s not sure he ever really agreed to be friends with her. Makoto decided she wanted to be friends—and that was that. Nothing he said or did would convince her otherwise.</p><p>or</p><p>Small slices of Haru and Makoto growing up together. Oh, and Makoto is a girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Live in the sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a small snippet of short glimpses into their life growing up. I never wrote any further, nor do I intend to continue on from here.

Stirring from sleep, Haru stifles a tired yawn and glances at his alarm clock. Only 2:37 am. He briefly wonders what woke him, but mentally shrugs and settles more fully into the mattress beneath him. Mindful of the warm body curled into his own, Haru fondly presses a kiss to Makoto’s forehead. Her soft breaths puff against the hollow of his neck, making him feel warm inside and out. He wonders how he got so lucky. He's 18 and has everything he's ever wanted. They’ve been best friends for almost his entire life. Haru remembers they had a rocky start, but Makoto was, as always, irritatingly persistent and cheerful.

Haru chuckles to himself at the distant memories. They were inseparable from that point on. Actually, he’s not sure he ever really agreed to be friends with her. Makoto decided she wanted to be friends and that was that. Nothing he said or did would convince her otherwise. Smiling, he allows himself to drift back asleep, pulling Makoto just a little bit closer.

 

* * *

 

When they were 4 years old, Haru played in the ocean on a warm summer day. Haru was completely enraptured by water, even in those early days. He was a quiet child, easily content with wading in and out of the ocean. To run back and forth, to and fro, playing tag with the gently lapping waves. The salty sea air tickled his nose; the crisp wind ruffled his black hair. His father sat nearby reading a book, but glanced up periodically with a smile. His mother stood behind him observing his play, providing careful supervision.

Another woman with a genial smile approached and greeted his mother. His mother responded in kind. Haru eyed the woman with suspicion, though he vaguely recognized her from their neighborhood. Losing interest, he quickly returned his attention to the water. Foamy ocean water tickled his toes and invited him to softly smile.

“Haruka,” his mother called.

He turned in response. Haru saw the other woman still standing next to his mother. How long had they been talking? And about what? Girls talked too much, in his opinion. But now, he noticed a little girl beside the stranger. When did she get there?

“Come here, please,” his mother said. With a slight frown at being pulled away from the ocean, Haru obeyed and looked up expectantly.

“Haruka, this is Mrs. Tachibana. Her family lives near us. We both volunteer at the community center.”

Haru stared up at the smiling woman, wondering why she smiled so widely. “Hello.”

“It’s nice to meet you. This is my daughter — Makoto. You’re the same age, and you might be in the same class next year,” Mrs. Tachibana said. 

He turned to appraise the small girl with olive brown hair glistening in the sun. She stood behind her mother, pressing her face shyly into her leg. Beneath wavy bangs, Haru’s bright blue eyes met shining green ones. Makoto gave him a small wave accompanied by an equally small smile.

“Say hello, Haruka,” his mother gently prodded.

With another frown, Haru glared at the ground unable to respond. Why did his mother insist on using his full name? It sounded stupid. Like the stupid smiling girl. With her stupid bouncy pigtails.

“Haruka…” his mother chided.

“Hi,” he murmured, still not looking up. His foot idly kicked at the sand. Haru longed to run back into the beckoning ocean behind him.

His mother stroked him affectionately on the head. “Maybe you could play with Makoto while we talk?”

Haru bitterly watched his mother and Mrs. Tachibana walk up the beach a few steps to continue their conversation. Leaving him alone. With the girl. Makoto.

The girl offered another sweet smile and softly said, “I was building a sandcastle, Haru-chan. Wanna help?”

Blue eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. “Don’t add –chan to my name. I’m not a girl.”

Makoto’s smile wavered for a moment, but she nodded. “Okay.”

She continued to smile pleasantly and stared at Haru, making him squirm under her steady gaze. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Haru-chan has pretty eyes. They’re blue. Like the ocean,” Makoto said, matter-of-factly.

“I just said don’t add –chan to my name. Do your ears work? And they're n-not pretty,” he huffed, crossing his arms. He absolutely did not feel his ears turn red at the compliment.

Annoyingly, Makoto just giggled. She boldly walked up and grabbed his hand. “Will you be my friend, Haru-chan?”

Feeling his displeasure rising, Haru tried to ignore how nice the feeling of his hand in hers felt. He pushed the other child away. “No. Too much effort.”

“You’re funny, Haru-chan,” Makoto said. Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand again and tugged him back toward the ocean.

He stared at their small hands, fingers interwined, pondering at the warmth spreading across his cheeks that had nothing to do with the sun. “What are you doing?”

“If Haru-chan wants to play in the water, then so do I!”

“I didn’t say that,” Haru protested, letting himself be pulled.

“You didn’t have to,” Makoto replied, as if that explained everything.

Their toes met the cold, lapping water as it bubbled and burbled across the sand. Makoto let out a delighted squeal and raised their interlocked hands into the air, jumping back. Haru drank in her laughing green eyes and wide smile like a tall glass of cool water. His lips quirked into a quiet smile. Maybe this girl wasn’t so bad. She liked water after all.

 

* * *

When they were 5 years old, they began kindergarten. Haru informally protested being sent to school by sitting in the bathtub and refusing to get out. His mother was not pleased. She fretfully pulled him from the water and roughly dried him with a large towel. He scowled as she tugged a comb through his tangled black locks.

“You’re going to be late for your first day, Haruka,” she scolded. “And now that you’ve sat in the tub too long, we can’t walk to school with Mrs. Tachibana and Mako-chan.”

His scowl turned to a frown. He hadn’t thought of that. Haru knew he and his friend were in the same class. Makoto said she wouldn’t know anyone else but him at school, so they had to stick together. She made him promise. “Can I still have mackerel before we go?”

Laughing fondly, his mother pulled his t-shirt over his head. “Of course, dear.”

After eating a quick breakfast of fish and toast, Haru and his mother walked to school. They arrived fifteen minutes late. A perky young woman, his teacher, showed him where to put his backpack as his mother apologized profusely to the classroom supervisor about his tardiness. It would never happen again, she promised. He allowed his mother to give him brief hug, and she left saying, “Have fun. Bye, Haruka!”

His teacher left him alone to stop a girl from pulling the head off a doll across the room. Haru looked around for a familiar smiling face, but didn’t see her among the sea of shrieking children. Sighing, he sat down at a small craft table and decided to color. Three boys walked up to his table and one knocked the marker out of his hand. 

Annoyed, he glared at them, but just reached for a new marker. Better to ignore them.

It seemed like a solid plan until the same boy knocked this marker out of his hand, too. Haru frowned.

“What kind of stupid name is Haruka for a boy?” the lead boy asked, causing the other two to laugh. 

Haru sighed deeply. Figures. They overheard his mother say goodbye to him. Nothing good would ever come from having a girly name.

He moved to stand and walk away, but the outspoken boy pushed him back down. “What’s the matter? Too weak and girly to fight back?”

The boy gave Haru another shove. The quiet child felt his fist clench in irritation. The other boys continued to laugh. A smaller figure appeared behind them.

“Hey! Leave Haru-chan alone,” Makoto said with a stern pout on her face.

The boys shared a glance and burst out laughing again. “Haru-chan? Hahaha!”

“Stop it. Stop laughing. Haru-chan isn’t a girl,” Makoto protested, stomping her foot.

“Hear that? Haru-chan’s girlfriend wants us to stop laughing,” one boy sneered.

Haru felt his ears flush in embarrassment. What did Makoto think she was doing? She was making it worse! Girls, even ones that liked water, never knew when to keep quiet.

Makoto noticed his discomfort and frowned. Stepping forward closer to the bullies, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. “Stop it, or you’ll be sorry.”

“Keh. What are you gonna do? Cry?” the leader taunted.

Green eyes glittered angrily. “No. But you will.”

Pulling back her leg, Makoto swiftly kicked the leader as hard as she could between his legs. He fell to the floor with an agonized wail, clutching his groin. She pulled back a little fist and slugged the boy on the left in the nose. He cried out as blood began to spurt freely. The boy on the right looked on in terror as Makoto grabbed his arm and bit down. He pulled away to fall back on his butt, clutching his tender arm.

Haru’s eyes widened comically at the scene as it unfolded. Stepping over the boys curled up on the floor in pain and fear, Makoto bent over to pick up both discarded markers. She offered them to Haruka, giving him a bright smile.

“Good morning, Haru-chan. Are you okay?” Makoto said, tilting her head to the side causing her signature pigtails to bounce.

“Um, yes?” Haru said.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you came in. I had to use the bathroom. Want to draw fishies with me?” Makoto asked, pulling up a chair to color beside her friend.

He nodded and watched her begin to doodle. Haru didn’t pick up his marker. She felt him staring and looked up, confused. “What’s wrong, Haru-chan?”

Haru shook his head. “Nothing.”

Accepting this, Makoto smiled softly and moved to continue coloring. Haru placed his hand on top of hers.

“Thank you…Mako-chan,” Haru murmured.

Makoto giggled. Haru felt his cheeks flush at the sound; he resolutely focused on coloring a dolphin.

Five minutes later, the teacher discovered the mean boys still crying on the floor and let out a shriek. “What happened here?!”

 

* * *

 

Haru and Makoto got to sit in a corner all day by themselves playing quietly. Sure, they were being punished. But it didn’t feel that way to Haru. Playing alone with Makoto was immensely preferable over mingling with the other kids. Even as their parents lectured them for causing trouble at school, Makoto didn’t once let go of his hand.

Haru had the best first day of school ever.

 

* * *

Throughout elementary school, teachers and other students learned Nanase Haruka didn’t go anywhere, or do anything, without Tachibana Makoto. Or perhaps, it was the other way around. In second grade, they weren’t in the same class. Haru didn’t like that, but didn’t say anything. Makoto knew anyway. She requested to be transferred into his class, and they weren’t separated again.

Makoto was a bright, happy child — smart and ready to share with everyone around her. She positively beamed. Like the sun.

Makoto’s caring, amiable smiles made Haru feel warm and flushed, in a good way. Like the sun’s rays caressing his face while swimming in the ocean. He figured if Makoto was like the sun that meant he was like a shadow. Makoto’s shadow. Trailing after her brilliance.

While cheerful and open, Makoto didn’t have many other friends. She could be popular, Haruka guessed, but she seemed content to quietly spend her time with him. She talked enough for the both of them, always smiling and letting out soft giggles.

“Want the other half of my popsicle, Haru-chan?”

“We can study after school together, Haru-chan.”

“Haru-chan! My mom made an extra bento for you. I helped!”

“You’re so funny, Haru-chan.”

“Let’s go swimming, Haru-chan.” That’s what Haru liked to hear her say the best. Makoto went with Haru to the beach every chance they could while the weather allowed it.

 

* * *

 

When they were 8 years old, Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana took Makoto to a festival in the next town near the harbor. Haru didn’t swim while she was gone.

She came back with stories…about a nice old fisherman —

“He was very nice and told me neat stories, like Haru-chan’s grandmother.”

all the sweets she ate—

“Would Haru-chan like some of my treats?”

and proudly showed him two goldfish from the festival.

“They like swimming almost as much as you, Haru-chan!”

A month later, a fishing boat sank 3 kilometers from shore during a big typhoon. All those fishermen drowned. Haru watched the flurry of activity in their town over the incident. Makoto became withdrawn during this time, and he didn’t understand why. She always knew what Haru was thinking without his saying, but he couldn’t seem to do the same for her.

One late summer day, Haru sat beside her on a blanket at the beach, watching the waves roll onto the shore. The sun was setting, and he felt Makoto shiver, their shoulders brushing. He figured she was cold so they should go inside. Haru moved to stand, but felt her hand wrap around his wrist and tug him down.

“I’m not cold, Haru-chan,” Makoto whispered. Haru couldn’t see her eyes hidden beneath her unruly bangs. “I’m scared.”

This baffled Haru. “Of what? You’re not scared of anything.”

“The ocean,” she said so quietly he almost didn’t hear.

“The ocean? But you like the water,” he reasoned.

“I do like water. I didn’t say I disliked the ocean. I’m just afraid of it…” Makoto explained, dusting sand off her toes. “Of what’s beneath the surface.”

“Is this because of those men drowning?”

She minutely nodded, suppressing another shudder. “The nice old fisherman from that town was on board the ship.”

Feeling arms wrap securely around her, Makoto lifted her head up in shock. Haru was…huggingher?

“Haru-chan?”

He gave her a tight squeeze. “I’ll always be here to help you stay afloat, Mako-chan.”

Makoto looked surprised, but hugged her best friend back with all her might. “Really?”

Haru drew back and rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed at the emotional display between them. “Of course, stupid.”

She giggled in amusement, then stood and extended her hand. “Come on, Haru-chan! Your mom said dinner would be at sunset. We should go.”

He allowed her to help him up, and they leave the beach hand in hand. Makoto only glanced back at the ocean once before chattering away on their way home.

Makoto’s goldfish died one week later. She cried and cried. And even though he hated it when girls cried, especially Mako-chan, Haru gladly let himself be hugged.

 

* * *

 

When they were 9 years old and in the middle of their fourth year of elementary school, Makoto made a surprising suggestion. It was the last day the beach was open for swimming, and they stayed until it got dark. The water was almost too chilly to swim in, but Haru didn’t care. Makoto swam beside him for hours. He noticed she never swam with quite the same abandon, but she seemed to love the water still.

“What?” he asked.

Makoto smiled indulgently. “Let’s join the swim club. It’s not that far into town. We could swim all year round! We’re good swimmers. Right, Haru-chan?”

“I suppose,” Haru said, but his eyes shined at the possibility of swimming whenever he wanted.

“Great! I’ll talk to our parents about signing up,” Makoto said. And she did.

Haru was skeptical at first, but he ended up loving the chance to swim all year. Whether in the ocean or a pool, he didn’t care. Both were better than his bathtub. Practices at the swim club were co-ed, but events were split by age and gender. It meant Makoto could watch his races and cheer. It also meant he could do the same for her.

He didn’t care if he won races or improved his times. He just loved being in the water. Haru would never admit it out loud, but he always swam a little faster knowing Makoto was cheering him on.


End file.
